Philanthropy: Mercy Bemys Foundation Visits Leprosy Settlement In Eku

Patients at the Tuberculosis and Leprosy Referral Centre, a centre established by the Delta State Government for all tuberculosis and leprosy confirmed cases in the state, yesterday, could not hide their excitement, as Mercy Bemys Foundation visited them to shower love on the over 500 persons living in the settlement in Eku.
Addressing the patients, a representative of the organisation, Silas Ojatere, opined that the visit was scheduled as directed by the founder of the foundation, Triple Chief Mercy Eguriase Adjerho.
According to him the visit was necessitated by the several lingering needs of the centre. He added that scholarships will be made available to two pupils to cover for their expenses in school from primary to tertiary level.
Also, food items and other gifts were presented to the centre, with a promise from the founder to support with fuel to run the power generating plant in the place from time to time.
He noted that Bemys Foundation is a non-profit organisation recognised by the Okowa-led government and committed to putting smiles on the faces of people, especially the less privileged, the sick and elderly persons, as he described Chief Adjerho as an uncommon philantopist.
Ojatere urged the patients to be resolute, saying that they should expect more of such gestures from the foundation and other like-minded individuals and groups.
Responding, the spokesman for the centre, Mr. Godwin Uweme thanked the visitors for the gesture.
According to him, many of their children trek far distances to be able to locate a secondary school, and thus called on well-meaning Deltans to join hands with the government to site a secondary school in the area.
Other needs highlited included: bandages and plasters for those with wounds yet to be healed and drugs for the sick amongst them.
Uweme said: “Most of us are farmers and are in dire need of fertilizer and tools to aid our farming. Those with amputated legs need crutches, while others in this group need artificial legs. Also, our houses have leaking roofs.
“The hospital is on the fall because of the lack of necessary facilities for its operations.”
A patient, Mary Alimeke, who also spoke, requested that those into fishery and farming should be empowered, as she called for the government to provide a skill acquisition centre for the ever growing youth population.